Unraveling
by SoThere
Summary: On the Victory Tour, Peeta finds a way to help Katniss come undone. Written for round 3 of Prompts in Panem, Day 6 (Canon Places - The Train)


_Summary_: On the Victory Tour, Peeta finds a way to help Katniss come undone. Written for round 3 of Prompts in Panem, Day 6 (Canon Places).

_Visual Prompt_: The Train

* * *

I want to do it again. It's all I can think about.

We spent the day in District 6, being courted by the mayor and his family, making small talk with dignitaries that thought they knew us. And through it all the only thing I could think about was getting back on that train, having Peeta all to myself, and doing it all over again.

I can't believe how good it felt last night. I rarely have room in my life for such luxuries, but it felt nice the few times I've bothered to take the time. But to have someone else do it for you is completely different. To be able to just close your eyes and enjoy it… It's heavenly.

Of course, Peeta was the one that offered to do it in the first place. And now, I don't know how to ask him to _please_ do it again. Words always seem to fail me, especially when it comes to something so selfish. To ask him for something that will bring me such pleasure, knowing on some level it is work for him? I can't.

I'm also a bit embarrassed. I'm sure he knows how much I enjoyed it based on the sounds I made during. I cringe when I remember that I may have even moaned. And then, we curled up together on his bed, and I was so relaxed I didn't even think about offering to return the favor.

But I slept _so_ soundly afterwards. The terrors of the day faded away to a peaceful bliss I haven't experienced in years.

What I wouldn't give to feel that way again. But I can't ask him. I just have to hope someday, he'll offer again.

"Katniss?" Peeta calls from the bathroom. I'm sitting on his bed with the blankets around my waist, looking out the window at trees passing by in the darkness. "Are you okay? You know you can always talk to me, right?"

"I know, Peeta." He comes out of the bathroom wiping his face with a towel. "I'm fine, really."

His concerned expression tells me he doesn't believe me. "You seemed a little more distracted than usual today. Is there anything you need to talk about? Anything else on your mind?"

He adjusts the drawstring on his flannel pants and sits down beside me. This tour hasn't been easy, but I can survive it, having him by my side. I can't imagine being the sole victor, forced to do this day after day on my own, without his hand to clutch when things get frightening. He has made an unbearable trip bearable, one stop at a time.

"You know I'd do anything for you," he says. "If there was anything I could do to help..."

Sighing, I shake my head. "No. You're making things better just by being here with me."

He reaches out and grabs the tip of my braid, stroking it gently. I can't help but look down at his hand wistfully. "Katniss?"

I look up at him, sure my eyes are riddled with a mix of guilt and longing. His blue eyes look back at me, understanding dawning on his face. "Did you… Did you enjoy that last night?""

Embarrassed, I turn away again. Of _course_ I enjoyed it! But I can't answer. My mouth is dry as I relive the memory. "Katniss? Did you? Did that - did it help you in any way?"

A deep need to feel that way again overcomes my fear and I nod, mute.

"Look at me. Please." His fingers grasp my chin gently and guide my eyes back toward his own. "Did you - like it? Please, answer me. Because – I really liked doing that for you."

My eyes widen in surprise. "You did?" I ask in a soft voice. He nods once, his eyes never leaving my face.

I can't lie to this boy, not after everything he's done for me. "I did. Enjoy it. It felt… amazing, Peeta. No one has ever done that for me before." A delighted grin spreads across his face.

"Well, can I do it again?" I can't help but smile and nod back. Watching the amount of joy he gets from making me happy, I know I'll never be able to deserve him.

Getting straight to work, he begins to fumble through the drawer in the bedside table. "Where do you want me?" I ask, unsure how to begin.

"Um, I was actually thinking the floor this time. It might make things a little easier."

I climb out of the bed and move to the floor, still unsure where to go, when he finally finds what he's looking for. "Here," he says, and places a pillow down beside the bed. I crawl over to the pillow and arrange myself with my back to him. "Now close your eyes and just try to relax."

I feel him sit up behind me on the bed, dangling a leg on each side of me. He carefully removes the elastic from the bottom of my braid and begins to relieve me of the tight weave with his fingers. Ever so gently he works his way through the braid, loosening any major knots in the process. Finally his fingers work their way to my scalp where they scratch at the roots, tugging slightly.

Next, he takes the brush he found in the drawer and runs it through my locks, starting slowly, working the bottoms first to remove any major snarls. Eventually he reaches the top of my head, and runs the brush through the full length of my hair using long strokes, down and back up again, smoothing it out against my back.

After he's done this for a while, he puts the brush down and repeats the process with his hands, combing through the strands and massaging my scalp. "Mmmm…" The sound escapes my throat before I can stop it.

Peeta leans down so he's beside my ear. "Does that feel good?" he whispers. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

I'm so relaxed; I can't even open my eyes. I don't know how I could ever express how good I feel right now, so I just moan again. "Mmhmm, Peeta. It feels very good."

He alternates between the brush and his fingers a few more times before I feel myself almost nodding off. He puts the brush away and helps me into the bed beside him, tucking the blankets in close around our bodies as we lie facing each other.

"Thank you, so much, Peeta." He smiles at me shyly. "That was wonderful."

He reaches out and brushes a loose strand behind my ear. "I'll always do that for you; I'd do it every night if you wanted me to, Katniss. I just want to help you."

I reach out and brush one of his wayward blond curls behind his ear and smile back. "We help each other. Maybe next time, I can return the favor for you. I wouldn't mind having a chance to play with these curls for a while."

He smiles and pulls me closer to him. I close my eyes, finding the same peace I found the night before. Between the rocking of the train and the warmth from his body, I'm able to slip into a deep and dreamless sleep.


End file.
